title: What are the top five essential features of a high quality eating disorder service? A comparison of the views of US and UK eating disorder sufferers, carers and health professionals.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of the present study was to identify what are the main features of a high quality eating disorders service and to triangulate the views of patients, carers and health professionals in a cross-national (USA, UK) survey.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data from an internet survey were subjected to content analysis and common themes were identified.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All six stakeholder groups (US and UK patients, carers and health professionals) included the professional qualities of staff amongst their top five quality features. Personal qualities of staff, support for carers and psychological interventions were mentioned by four of the six groups, Support for service users and nutritional assistance was mentioned by three groups. Availability/access and Rapid access to care were mentioned by UK Carers and UK health care personnel. Medical assistance was only mentioned by US health care professionals and flexible care only by UK sufferers.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  This study suggests many similarities and some differences between different stakeholders from two countries with different health care systems in their views on quality of care.
authors.affiliation: Tokyo Institute of Psychiatry, Tokyo, Japan; King's College, Institute of Psychiatry, London, UK. nishizono-ay@igakuken.or.jp.
authors.forename: Aya
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nishizono-Maher
authors.forename: Tatiana
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Escobar-Koch
authors.forename: Susan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ringwood
authors.forename: Judith
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Banker
authors.forename: Eric
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: van Furth
authors.forename: Ulrike
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Schmidt
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001291:Attitude of Health Personnel; D001294:Attitude to Health; D017028:Caregivers / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D001068:Feeding and Eating Disorders / Q000523:psychology* / Q000628:therapy*; D005260:Female; D019538:Health Care Surveys; D006282:Health Personnel / Q000523:psychology* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011787:Quality of Health Care; D013315:Stress, Psychological; D006113:United Kingdom; D014481:United States; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: cross-national survey; eating disorders; quality of care